“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles – that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.”
-1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (NKJV)
-1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (NKJV)
There was an incestuous relationship going on within the Corinthian church. But the Corinthian church was not mournful as it should have been. This sexual immorality in the church should have broken their hearts; but instead they were tolerant of the sin and worse yet, they were proud to be tolerant.
We live in a society today that preaches tolerance. We are told we should tolerate each other’s beliefs, lifestyle and sexual orientation. While tolerance may help in “keeping the peace” to some extent, all it is really doing is avoiding and ignoring the issues. What we really should be preaching is love; not the love of the hippie era, but the love that can only come from Christ. Some would equate tolerance with love, but there is a distinct difference between love and tolerance. You can tolerate someone and still hate them. How then is tolerance the answer to ending hate crimes? Conversely, you can love someone and not tolerate their actions. A prime example of this is when parents exercise “tough love” with their children or even the simple act of disciplining their children when they do something wrong. A parent can absolutely love a child but not tolerate their behavior; and because of their love for that child will discipline the child for the behavior. Christ did not call us to tolerate each other, but to love one another! “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, emphasis mine) Yet in many of our churches today we see prideful tolerance of sin, especially around sexual orientation. But what happens when the church prides itself on tolerance rather than truth and love? You have a church that doesn’t love their brothers and sisters in Christ enough to tell them the truth when they are going the wrong way on a One way street. You have a church that is more concerned with gaining members by tickling the ears than running the risk of offending someone by speaking the truth. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my relationship with Christ, my salvation, I want to know the truth even if it is difficult to hear. One’s salvation and relationship with Christ is far too important to not share the truth in love with a brother or sister in Christ. By doing so, we give that brother or sister an opportunity to get right with the Lord; an opportunity for redemption.
I have been challenged by 1 Corinthians 5 and I pray that you too will be challenged today; challenged enough to share the truth in love with your brothers and sisters in Christ when they are headed the wrong way on a One way street; challenged enough to stop tolerating people, beliefs, lifestyles, sin and instead to start loving people as Christ loves you.
We live in a society today that preaches tolerance. We are told we should tolerate each other’s beliefs, lifestyle and sexual orientation. While tolerance may help in “keeping the peace” to some extent, all it is really doing is avoiding and ignoring the issues. What we really should be preaching is love; not the love of the hippie era, but the love that can only come from Christ. Some would equate tolerance with love, but there is a distinct difference between love and tolerance. You can tolerate someone and still hate them. How then is tolerance the answer to ending hate crimes? Conversely, you can love someone and not tolerate their actions. A prime example of this is when parents exercise “tough love” with their children or even the simple act of disciplining their children when they do something wrong. A parent can absolutely love a child but not tolerate their behavior; and because of their love for that child will discipline the child for the behavior. Christ did not call us to tolerate each other, but to love one another! “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, emphasis mine) Yet in many of our churches today we see prideful tolerance of sin, especially around sexual orientation. But what happens when the church prides itself on tolerance rather than truth and love? You have a church that doesn’t love their brothers and sisters in Christ enough to tell them the truth when they are going the wrong way on a One way street. You have a church that is more concerned with gaining members by tickling the ears than running the risk of offending someone by speaking the truth. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my relationship with Christ, my salvation, I want to know the truth even if it is difficult to hear. One’s salvation and relationship with Christ is far too important to not share the truth in love with a brother or sister in Christ. By doing so, we give that brother or sister an opportunity to get right with the Lord; an opportunity for redemption.
I have been challenged by 1 Corinthians 5 and I pray that you too will be challenged today; challenged enough to share the truth in love with your brothers and sisters in Christ when they are headed the wrong way on a One way street; challenged enough to stop tolerating people, beliefs, lifestyles, sin and instead to start loving people as Christ loves you.
COACH'S CALL TO ACTION
- Where in your life do you tolerate but not love?
- How would it look if you were to replace tolerance in your life with love?
- Where will you begin?
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